The Pitcher Stakes, Purse $150.000, Grade 3, 1 mile and 1/16, Dirt for Fillies and Mares 3+
There is a nice field of six horses that have drawn into this year’s edition of The Pitcher Stakes at Monmouth. There is plenty of class in this year’s field that will ensure that the winner of this race will be on to bigger and better things moving forward through the year. Let’s take a look at the field:
1-Chili King(Sanny Village)- Comes into the race in good form winning 2 out of her last 3 races, with the lone loss a nice second place finish last out in the Grade 1 Vanity Stakes. She is a multiple Grade 1 winner who seems to have found her stride and looks to keep the good roll going. Owner Sanny Village likes to keep his works private so it is hard to know how well the horse is working coming into the race, but if I had to guess I would say she will be ready to fire off a big race. Look for her to be there in the end.
2-Spiritual Luck (Northern Trader Stable)- Comes into this race in good form also winning two straight races including a Grade 3 victory at Kee in the Doubledogdare Stakes. That was her first graded stakes victory of her career and did it with relative ease at today’s distance. The problem with that win is it will force her to carry more weight than anyone else in the field today. Her works coming into the race look to be ok. Can she overcome carrying 2 extra pounds on the rest of the field? Her victory was impressive so we will see on Friday.
3-Secret Sector (Hawaiian Shirt Guy)- Comes into the race with a win and 2 seconds this year, but also has a lot of back class. She is a multiple Grade 2 winner that once upon a time ran in the Breeders Cup as a Juvenile. Her good races this year have come at the allowance level or ungraded stakes level. She will need to take a step forward to compete in this race, but her works do look like she may be able to do that.
4-Duchess (MB Stables)- After starting the year with a win she has been knocking on the door in her next 3 starts with 3 consecutive 2nd place finishes all in stakes company. She has not yet found her way to the winner circle in a stakes race, but she started from humble beginnings breaking her maiden in a MCL race. She has recently appeared to have started to tap into her potential and a stakes win looks like it is just around the corner for this one. Will it be Friday? It could be but she will really have to step up against this field.
5-Shadow Of A Doubt (Maverick Racing) Has run 3 times this year with one win in those starts. That win was a nice one in the Grade 2 Azeri against a nice field of runners. Her last race she took on the boys in the CT Classic and it didn’t fair well for her. This former BC Ladies Classic winner is hoping that she can get back there and do it again, and will hope to use this race a spring board. Her works coming into the race are nice, and she should be right there in the end.
6-Intimate Knowledge (Wynnewood)- Has not seen the winners circle since May of 2014 but it was routing on the dirt. Her last 5 starts have all been on the turf, and those races were a mixed bag with only 2 second place finishes and 3 off the board finishes coming from them. She has yet to win a stakes race in her career, could the move back to routing on the dirt be what it takes to wake her up and get her over the hump? We will find out on Friday.
This should be an exciting race on Friday as this is a classy field that is signed on to run. I could see the results going in a number of different ways but here is my prediction. 1-5-4-3
Warbucks
Categories: Grade III
